Device for holding garbage cans



March 23, 1943. H. B. FALLls DEVICE FOR HOLDING GARBAGE CANS v Filedoct. e. `1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l March 23, 1943.A

H. B. FALLIS DEVICE FOR HOLDING*(LRBGE CANS r'2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledOct. 6, 1 .941

-Patented Mar. 2,3,

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oFFicE i k nnvlcn ron noznrirslosnnscn cans lHerbert B. Falill, Wichita, Kans. Application October 6. 1941, SerialNo. 413,883 1 claim. (ci. 24a-31o) This invention relates to an improveddevice for holding a garbage can so asto prevent accidental upsettingthereof, as by' means of dogs and cats attempting to gain access to thecontents of the garbage can. V Y,

The present invention also relates to an improved device, operable bythe foot, for opening the lid of a garbage can, whenever it is desiredto deposit garbage in the can or to empty the garbage therefrom.

An object of the present invention is to provide a garbarge can holderof the above kind which is extremely simple and durable in con structionand eiliclent in use.

A further object of the present invention is l to provide a footoperated device for opening the lid of a garbage can, which device isreadily adjustable for use with garbage cans of different sizes, both incross-section and in vertical height.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent fromthe following description when considered in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view, partly broken away and in section,showing a garbage can operatively associated with a holder and lidopening device constructed in accordance with the present inventionFigure 2 is a top plan view thereof Figure 3 is a rear elevational viewof the device, partly in section;

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken online 6 4 of Figure 1` andpartly broken away;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary elevation, partly broken away and in section,showing the means 36 for connecting the horizontally swinging arm of thelid opening device with the handle of the lid;

Figure 6 is a sectional perspective view of the spirally grooved tubularmember forming part 40 of the'means for causing the horizontal swingingarm to be actuated when elevated; and

` Figure 7 is a transverse cross section taken on the line 1--1 ofFigure 1.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the present invention includes acan holder or vstand consisting of an upright 5 preferably consisting ofa sheet metal plate whose m'ajor lower portion is reinforced by means ofside or longitudinal 5 and extending in diverging relation therefrom arehorizontal channel members 1 whose intere mediate or base portions areprovided with central longitudinal elongated slots 8. Angular throughthe slot l of each channel member 'I `and is threaded into theassociated arm 8. By

tightening the thumb bolts II, the angular mem- Y 2l. flanges 6. Rigidwith the lower end of upright bers 8, I0 may be secured in adjustedposition relative to the channel members "I, and it will be seen thatthe body II' of a garbage can is adapted to be disposed upon thehorizontal arms 'v 9 and contacted at spaced points by the arms I0 andupright 5 so that the can will be eiectivell/ held in a desired positionand is prevented from accidentally upsetting. By loosening thumb boltsII, the arms I0 may be adjusted into snug contact with the can bodywhile it also contacts the upright 5, said thumb bolts beingsubsequently tightened to secure the adjustment. The holder may besuitably anchored to the ground, as by means of a threaded stud I2projecting downwardly from the lower end of upright 5 and threaded intothe upper end of a pipe or other threaded member I3 embedded andanchored in the ground. The outer or spaced ends of the channel members'I` may be rigidly connected by means of a suitable connecting bar Illso `that any spreading strains on said channel members i will beeectively resisted and so that said chan nel members will be effectivelybraced in theirproper diverging relation.

The present invention also includes simple and eilicient means forraising and then swinging the lid I5 of the can II laterally to an outof the way position as shown by dotted lines in Figure 1 so that accessmay be had to the can II' for placing garbage therein or for permittingremoval of the can I I' to empty the contents thereof. This meansincludes a vertical shaft having a hollow upper sectionl I6 journaied ina bearing Il on the outer side of the upper end of upright 5, and alower section I8 journaled in a bearing I9 on the outer side of theupright E near its lower end. The shaft sections I6 and I8 are slidablytelescoped so that the length thereof may be adjusted, and the lower endportion of section I6, is split as at 20 and encircled by clamping bandBy loosening the clamping band 2|, the length of the shaft may beproperly adjusted,

. and by tightening the band this adjustment may be secured in agenerally well known way. Rigid with the upper end of shaft I6, I8 is ahorizontal arm including an inner hollow section 22 rigid members asassociated with the channel mem- 66 with the shaft section I6 and anouter arm secgrooves 33, as will be apparent.

outer end of section 22 is split as at 24 andencircled by a. clampingband 25 which may be loosened to permit adjusting the length of the arm22, 23 and then tightened to secure the adjustment. By providing theadjustable shaft and arm, the device may be adapted for use with cans ofdifferent sizes, both in horizontal crosssection and vertical height.The outer end of arm 22, 23 is suitably fastened to the handle 26 of thelid I5. which handle is in the usual form of a U-shaped hand grip ofcurved transverse form as shown more clearly in Figure 5. This fasteningmeans preferably consists of a clamping plate 21 and a U-bolt 28 havingits threaded ends passing upwardly through end apertures in the plate21, nuts 29 being threaded on the ends of U-bolt 28.above the plate 21.'I'he clamping plate 21 is attached to arm section 23 by means of adepending threaded stud 30 rigid with the arm section 23 and threadedcentrally into the plate 21. In practice, the intermediate portion ofplate 21 is thickened and provided with a convex under-side adapted to tthe concaved upper surface of handle 26, the intermediate portion ofU-bolt 28 being arched to fit the under-side of said handle. Bytightening the bolts 29, the intermediate portion of handle 26 may bermly clamped between the plate 21 and the U-bolt 28.

As shown more clearly in Figure 6, the lower bearing I9 hasdiametrically opposed vertical grooves 3| in the lower portion thereofwhich are normally engaged by the ends of a cross pin 32 extendingthrough the shaft section I8. Extending upwardly from the upper ends ofvertical straight grooves 3| are spiral grooves 33 into which the endsof pin 32 will pass from the grooves 3|. By this means, thel shaft I6,I8 may be elevated for the length of the grooves 3| without beingrotated so as to lift the lid completely off of the can body after whichthe shaft I6, I8, upon being further elevated, will be caused to turnand thereby swing the arm 22, 23 and the lid 5 laterally for asufficient distance to position the lid i5 entirely out of the way asindicated by dotted lines in Figure 1. This rotation of the shaft iseffected by the engagement of the ends of pin 32 in the spiral In orderto manually operate shaft I 6, I3 for causing the above operation, Iprovide a pedal 34 mounted upon a horizontal pivot 35 on the lowerportion of upright 5 so that an arm of said pedal engages the lower endof shaft section I8. By applying foot pressure to the other end of pedal34 so as to swing the latter in the direction of the arrows shown inFigure 3, the shaft will be elevated in the desired manner. It isfurther noted'that the pedal 34 is movable laterally on the pivot pin 35so that by pressing the pedal 34 laterally toward the upright 5 afterthe shaft I8, I8 has been completely elevated, the depressed arm oi'pedal 34 may be engaged under a lug 36 rigid with the upright 5 forholding the lid in .its out of the way position shown by dotted lines inFigure 1. Conversely, the pedal 34 may be slid away from the upright 5on the pivot 3 5 to disengage it from the lug 36, whereupon the partsmay be returned to normal position by simply swinging the arm 22, 23back to the full line position of Figure 1. When this takes place, thelid |5 reaches a position over the top of can |I' and then lowersvertically onto the upper end of the latter. At the same time, pedal 34returns to its position of Figure 3, excessive return swinging movementof said pedal being prevented by means of a suitable stop pin 31 carriedby the upright 5 beneath the inner arm of said pedal.

From the foregoing description, it is believed that the construction andoperation, as Well as the advantages of the present invention, will bereadily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art. Theconstruction is extremely simple and durable, and aifords an efficientand comparatively inexpensive device for effectively carrying out thestated objects of the invention. Minor changes may be made in thedetails of construction illustrated and described, without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim as new is:

In a garbage can support, a channeled upright having the lower endthereof reduced to cylindrical shape and screw threaded for threadinginto a ground anchor, a horizontally arranged V- shaped member havingthe apex thereof formed on the upright adjacent to and above the reducedlower end of said upright, a brace connecting the ends of the member,said member having channels in the diverging portions thereof andprovided with slots located in the channels, L- shaped members includingvertical and horizontal portions and having the horizontal portionslidable in the channels for the adjustment of the vertical portionstoward and from the upright to receive and grip cans of different sizes,and thumb screws extending through the slots and threaded into theL-shaped members for releasably securing said L-shaped members inadjusted positions.

HERBERT B. FALLIS.

